In Holiday Mode

Too...busy...to...blog.....

As I am sitting here going through my email and organizing my cake orders for the rest of the month I realized that I haven't written anything in a LONG time.  I have been busy decorating, making Halloween costumes and of course, making lots of cakes.
Here is what I have been working on:

Super Mario Bros. Cake (Luigi is an "action figure")

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Bleeding Black and Gold Cake

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Pokemon Cake

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Hawaii themed Groom's Cake

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Close up of the Groom's Cake

Halloween decorations

Haunted Gallery (I have added more since I took this)

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Started to decorated the front porch

Logo cupcakes

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Wu-Tang Clan Cake

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Guess Whooooo? Baby Shower Cake

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Nightmare Before Christmas Cake

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Spiderman Cake (Spiderman is an "action figure")

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Was there anything you want to know how to do?  Just ask!

Nothing to Write About

Soooooooo, I have this blog.  Now I have started having blog writer's block guilt.  It was bad enough when I had cake guilt but now it is even worse.
What do you write about when you have nothing to write about?  I am busy with lots of projects but I have nothing to show you right now...hence the guilt.  What do I do?  I struggle between whether or not to write about what I am PLANNING on doing (which I have done before), or to write nothing.
I convinced myself that you are all sitting around your computers waiting for an email telling you I have updated my blog.  Anxiously waiting, even.  If this isn't true please keep it to yourself as I enjoy my imagined celebrity.
Halloween is coming up.  That is always a big event in my household.  My husband and I had a Halloween themed costume wedding and this year is even more special because we are celebrating our 10th anniversary.
I always make the kids their costumes.  Monday we went out and picked out all of the fabric and trim for Princess Peach (from Super Mario Brothers) and the White Queen (from Alice in Wonderland).  My husband and I also dress up.  Each of us coordinates with one of the girls.  Kevin is going to be Mario and I am going to be Um.  I wish I had something to show you here.  Some amazing picture of a costume I have whipped up over the last few days, but I don't.  The fabric is all still in the bag.
Immediately after Halloween I start preparing for Christmas.  I don't mess around.  If I drop the ball the whole holiday season will be a huge, monstrous, hideous disaster. (This, of course, is PROBABLY not true.  I can't take that chance, though.)
I am kind of hesitant to admit this, but I have already finished all of my Christmas shopping for my family.  Well, except for my sister, Sariah, but I know what I am getting her.  In my defense I have 5 brothers and sisters, a sister-in-law, in-laws and two sets of parents.  Oh, and a nephew, and Dessa.  I think that is it, but you can see why I start early.  I plan on crocheting shawls for the girls' teachers (which I do while waiting during ballet classes).
Well, enough of my "I have nothing to write" rant.  See you next week!

Cake Update

Since I know my cakes are the most popular on my blog I thought I would take some

time to show you what I've been working on!

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

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Penn State Cake

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Baptism Cake for Olivia

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Computer, Coffee and Corvette Cake (you can't see the coffee, but it is there)

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Vegas themed Birthday/Anniversary Cake (based on invitations)

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Harry Potter Cake

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Elmo

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Elmo Smash Cake

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Cars Cake

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Cars Cake detail

So that is what I have been up to lately.  I am having so much fun and learning so much!  

Have any questions about how I made any of these?  Please just ask! 

Lots of cake orders coming up, so you will be seeing more soon!

Szakelyhidi Family Vacation 2011

Click here to view this photo book larger

I love Shutterfly's Photo Books.  What a great way to create a photo album you can have forever.  I love to give them as gifts, too.  I made this one of our family vacation.  The wonderful thing is that I was able to send one to my dad and step-mother as thanks for letting us stay with them!  

I used the "create your own" book, but they have ones that just plug the pictures right in and ones that have templates that you put the pictures in yourself.  With so many options you can really personalize your album!  I hope you enjoy mine!

End of Summer Push

Busy, busy, busy!  We went on the most amazing family vacation a couple of weeks ago...we drove up to Connecticut, then to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Bar Harbor, Maine, stopped to climb (in our car) Mount Washington in New Hampshire and finished it off in Waterbury/Stowe, Vermont.
We met some really awesome people and just had the best time ever!

Since we have been back I have been trying to get the girls ready for school and that has meant lots of cleaning and clearing out.  Closets have been done, backpacks and lunchboxes have been ordered and clothes have been purchased.  We even had an "End of the Summer, Where the Heck Did It Go?" pool party for the girls' friends. Now that I have a minute I wanted to just sit and update my blog.  Ahhhh, sitting is nice.

If you recall I had plans to do some projects this summer.  I did get some of them done.  Here are two of the ones that I posted:

Paper Umbrella Wreath

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I made mine a little different.  I first wrapped the Styrofoam wreath in plastic leis before I stuck the umbrellas in.  I also used a lei to hang it from the door.

I also made the hanging art gallery.  This was really easy since I just bought the kit they have at IKEA.  I would suggest this to any parent.  So glad to have somewhere to hang all of the girls' art and projects!

I added the Art Gallery with adhesive backed paper.

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I did want to show you the inspiration pictures.  I think mine came out pretty well!

Are We There Yet?

Vacations are tricky.  Especially when you have kids.  The tricky part is making sure that you actually get to enjoy it. 

This year is our first REAL family vacation.  We have never taken one before...not all four of us at the same time.  I was thinking, "Shelby, how can you keep the girls busy on a budget?"  Because I want to spend my money ON vacation not FOR vacation.

I am obsessed with license plates from other states.  There was one on a Jeep at the mall the other day from Hawaii.  There was one in front of me earlier today from Texas. I don't know if this is something everyone does...but I do, and so my kids do, too.

Now, I can't take credit for the idea because my husband read about it online and then passed it on to me but it is genius.  It is so simple and easy.  I went to Google Image and searched US maps.  I had the girls pick out the one they liked and printed out copies.  Then I laminated them.  I have a laminator, but if you don't they have laminating pages that just stick together that work well, too.

The map the girls picked out.

Now, when you see a license plate from another state you just cross it off.  And even better, Crayola just came out with dry erase crayons!!!  Perfect for the trip!

Crayola rocks!  These can be used on glass, too!

The other side is blank so they can use it to draw or write notes to each other.

Global Creativity (I need some help)

This is a project that I need some help for.  My girls and I have been tracking all of the countries in which people have viewed my blog.  They are having a blast finding all of the countries on the map.  I have also been trying to tell them a little about each country.

We mark the country with a pink star

Now here is what I would love for you to do...
If you are from somewhere other than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania please leave a comment (or email me at crazycreativeshelby@hotmail.com) and let us know the city and country you are from and a fun fact about where you live.

Here is an example:
My name is Shelby and I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.  My city has three rivers, the Monongahela, the Allegheny and the Ohio.  Where they all meet is called The Point.

The girls want to get every state, too, and Blogger doesn't track states, so please leave your state and city if you are from the US.

I look forward to hearing from all of you and promise to keep you updated on our progress!  Thanks!!!

Catching Up

So the first thing you probably noticed was that I changed the look of my blog page.  Last week I came on to write a new post and spent the next several hours playing around with the design instead...hence, no blog written, but beautiful redesign.

These past couple of weeks I have spent finishing some old projects.  It took total dedication and concentration.  Who am I kidding?  It took nagging and guilt.  Oh, and shopping bags...lots and lots of them.

On that note I am happy to report I have finished the recycled bag tote and it turned out better than I could have ever imagined.  It will be taking the trip with us to Maine this summer and I have high hopes that it will meet my expectations of the ideal beach bag.  And now you want a picture, don't you?

The bag measures 21" long by 17.5 " wide.

I stayed with the red, white and blue theme.  I ended up with a little extra blue at the end so I added a sassy flower to it.  Who says plastic flowers can't be trendy?

You know you want one!

Ok, so is this project worth the time, energy and recyclability?  (I know it is a made-up word).  Probably not, but it gives you some awesome bragging rights and you can customize it to your taste.  I let you know how it actually hold up at the beach!


Update:  Took it to the beach and it worked out PERFECTLY!  When we left the beach and continued on I used it as our dirty laundry bag.  Four people make a lot of laundry and I was really happy to have it.  I had tons of compliments on it and even demonstrated to one very nice woman how to make one.  It was just what I needed for vacation.  Yeah!

Handmade With Love

My Gram passed away this week and so I am going to dedicate this blog to her.  Love you, Gram!

My cousin Stephanie, me and my Gram at my cousin Chris's wedding

Growing up your mom always tells you that the gifts you make are the best ones.  If you are like me you never really believed her.  Now, as a mom myself, I know that is actually true. Gifts made for others are the ones that are kept and cherished.  You can't return them with a gift receipt and you can't re-gift them.  When you pull out the handmade gift you always know who made it for you. 10 years later I have no idea who got me which wedding gift, but I know who made me gifts I've had since childhood.  Many of those gifts were made for me by my Gram.

Mia is modeling bedding made for me by my Gram

This is a baby doll bedding set my Gram made for me.  If I remember correctly, my uncle made my sister and me baby doll beds and my Gram made the bedding.  The bed is long gone, but the bedding remains and is now used by my 5 year old for her beloved American Girl twins.

My Gram and I spent plenty of time discussing crocheting over the years because we both had a passion for it.  She was always excited to hear about any new project I had going.  Following in her footsteps, I have also made some baby doll items.

Mia and Daisy modeling hats I crocheted for them

My Gram made blankets for each of my daughters when they were born.  She crocheted one for my youngest even though it must have been painful with her arthritis.

Comfy blankets made by Great-grammy

When I was in High School she painted this porcelain doll for me.  It is now on a shelf in my daughters' room.  I have moved 6 times since she painted it for me and I have carefully relocated it each time (if you knew me you would realize this is actually an amazing accomplishment).

I am so pretty, don't you think?

My daughters have a talent for painting porcelain figurines, also...it must be genetic.

Colorful

So, just remember that the next time you think that a gift made by you isn't good enough, it is.  And that person will know that you love them.

Can I Mold That for You?

I wanted to make some really realistic seashells for a beach themed cake.  I was at the cake decorating store and noticed that they had some really great seashell candy molds.  They were around $2 so I thought, "What the heck, may as well try it."

I went online to see if there was any information on exactly how to use candy molds with fondant.  There were lots of suggestions on how to use them.  Lots, and lots, and lots!  I tried almost all of them.  Putting them in the freezer, letting them dry overnight, putting powdered sugar in the molds...none of it really worked.  If I was going to use the molds I was going to need to figure it out on my own.

And I did!!!!  Figure it out, I mean.  It took me 27 tries, but I finally figured it out.

So let me save you some trouble, frustration and the desire to pull out your hair.  This is how to do it.  Easy peasy (as my five year old would say).

1. Roll a ball of fondant in the size you need to fill the mold.
2. Coat it in powdered sugar.
3. Push fondant into mold.
4. Remove excess if needed. (If you do, coat the back with powdered sugar before you remove it)
5. If you don't get the detail that you want repeat steps 2 and 3.

I used molds for the seashells, fish, crabs, lobster and seahorses.  The seashells I made out of white fondant and then hand-painted them when they were dry.  I am so happy with the results.  You will be seeing me stalking the candy molds aisle from now on!

The Mother of Invention

First I want to let you all know that I STILL haven't finished the plastic bag tote.  Hopefully I will have enough bags by vacation because I wanted to take it to the beach with us.  I promise to keep you updated.

So I have found that when it comes to cake decorating I am always in need of some random yet specific tool.  Let me try to explain.  I have an order for "Back to School" cupcakes coming up for a clothing store.  They requested that they be decorated with jeans.  No problem I thought.  Not so easy.  I searched everywhere for a jeans shaped cookie cutter, no luck.  I finally came across what I was looking for online...at least I thought.

The cutter I ordered is beautiful.  it is handmade riveted copper.  The problem with it is that it is 2" wide, not 2" high.  It easily 6" high...which is too big for cupcakes. ;)

 I was sure I would just have to make my own...but how do you make cookie cutters?  I am happy to report that I found a way.  First was a trip to Home Depot.  When I asked the nice gentleman who worked there where the aluminum flashing was he asked me what I was going to use it for.  I told him cookie cutters.  I really wish I had a picture of the look on his face...not the answer he expected!  I also picked up some JB Weld (epoxy cold weld) and some electrical tape.

These are the directions I used as a guide (because I always like to do it my own way).  http://cakecentral.com/articles/125/how-to-make-your-own-cookie-cutters

Instead of clamps I used the electrical tape. Electrical tape won't stick to the epoxy if any of it happens to leak out.  Other than that I pretty much followed the directions from cake central.

So far I have made two pair of jeans, a teardrop, a surfboard, and a towel.  This is SOOOO great.  It has saved me so much time because I don't need to hand-cut each shape.  I am so excited to know how to do this!